Rice University Athletics
Rice Takes on Richmond Tuesday
11/19/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 19, 2007
HOUSTON - The Rice Owls move back inside the I-610 Loop as they continue a three-game home stand with a Tuesday night contest against Richmond at Reliant Arena.
Tip-off for the game is slated for 7:20 p.m. and is part of a double-header with the Rice women's team who takes on Arkansas-Little Rock at 5 p.m. Fans arriving before halftime of the women's contest will pay just $5 per ticket for the twin-bill. Tickets for the men's game are $10 at the door beginning at 6 p.m.
Rice will be looking for its first win of the season after opening the year 0-2. The Owls are coming off an 86-59 loss to Duquesne in the home opener played last Saturday at the Merrell Center in Katy.
Richmond has played three of its first five on the road and is 2-3 on the year. The Spiders have already played two Conference USA schools during the opening weeks of the season. The Spiders suffered an 80-63 loss at Memphis in the second round of the 2k Sports Classic. Last week they knocked off East Carolina 67-65 in overtime.
The Spiders are coming off a 70-68 loss against Maryland-Baltimore County last Saturday.
In the loss to UMBC, Richmond had a seven-point lead with less than four minutes to play. UMBC would close the game with a 13-4 run capped by a game-winning dunk in the final seconds.
Richmond has utilized the same starting five - three sophomores, a junior and senior - in each of its first five games this season. Sophomore guard David Gonzalvez is averaging 14 points per game, shooting 53 percent from the field and knocking down 10-of-20 three-pointers to lead the spiders. Sophomore 6-9 center Dan Geriot is averaging 12.4 points an outing and leads Richmond with a 6.6 rebounding average.
Rice senior forward Paulius Packevicius has registered double-doubles in each of the Owls' first two games this season. Packevicius is averaging 16.5 points and 10.5 rebounds. He is also shooting 63 percent from the field and leads the squad with five blocks in two games.
Senior forward Patrick Britton is averaging 8.5 points an outing for Rice and has connected on 11-of-12 free throws through the first two games of the season.
Following Tuesday's game, Rice wraps up its current three-game home stand next Tuesday when the Owls play host to Arkansas-Little Rock at Reliant Arena.
